


Hidden Mercy

by lou96



Series: The Old Sycamore Tree [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Bittersweet, Canon Universe, Captain Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Cute Eren Yeager, Dungeon, Fluffy Ending, Levi is sweet, Levi/Eren Yeager-centric, M/M, Manga Spoilers, POV Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Protective Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Stars, Takes place before the courtroom episode (S1), eren is sleeping, first time Levi seeing Eren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:26:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26896657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lou96/pseuds/lou96
Summary: Rirentober 2020: Sleeping promptLevi slowly lifted his eyes to memorize every detail of the strange captive. He was bigger than Levi but anyone could’ve said the same. He wore beige tight-kissing trousers thinly fitting his legs. The captain retraced each curve, until reaching the narrow hips of the young man.He had read his file after being informed of his presence in the dungeons. When he learned the name of the titan, Levi couldn’t help but try to say it out loud.Eren
Relationships: Levi & Eren Yeager, Levi/Eren Yeager
Series: The Old Sycamore Tree [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1957789
Comments: 6
Kudos: 82
Collections: Ererictober





	Hidden Mercy

It was the middle of the night. Most people were asleep but for some, it was only the beginning of their journey. The only noises that could be heard came from taverns posted not far from the Military Headquarters.

The voices of drunkards singing head-to-head and battles between smugglers were all familiar memories for Levi. The sky was black, the stars had deserted the vault of heaven and the moon was hiding behind the gray clouds of her sadness.

A tired but heavy gaze watched over this spectacle. Levi often felt a painful pinch in his chest. This feeling had accompanied him ever since he had fled from the underground city. He still had difficulty sleeping at night, whether as a child or as a grown up.

Levi's mind couldn’t stop tormenting itself and he had no one to bare his soul. Nothing seemed to fall in place for him. The dark was just another light for him. He was now seeking for something in the sky, anything that would enlighten him before he commits the unforgettable. 

His raven hair was as dark as his agitated mind. He stared from his room at this heaven above all that seemed to cry out everyone's loneliness. The white star was now bright, proud, beautiful but alone. _Who was she waiting for?_

Levi thought it was foolish to think something could happen but his eyes were still awaiting for a sign, a justice. He did not smile nor was he shocked when the night went white for a mere second.

The bitter silver eyes saw in a fly of a moment a shooting star crossing the darkness to reach the moon. His apparition was brief but the whole sky had illuminated under the accession of the mysterious nebula. Levi stared at the white tail left behind the fleeting fireball.

He wondered if some things were already destined to happen. Such as the moon meeting its star when nothing could have foreseen their brief encounter. _Lucky bastard._ The captain wished he could have the chance of the faithful moon. To have someone at the end of a long day coming his way and greeting him with a happy smile. But Levi knew that his star didn’t live in this world. Only his friend in a long, black cloak with a hood would comfort him. Its cold arms would take him away from the battlefield. The sound of its scythe crying on the floor would be distant as they will be walking side by side, carrying away the secret of humanity with them.

Levi glanced one last time at the eternity above him in the attempt to find a semblance of peace. He turned to face his modest room.

A pine desk was placed on its left, papers summarizing the last events of the last days were spread out under the dim lighting of the table lamp. His bed was in the same condition as when he arrived two days ago. His uniforms were neatly folded on his white sheets. There was no indication that he had even slept in his apartments.

He couldn't sleep, his thoughts only focusing on one thing right now. With his military boots already on in case of an attack and deadly weapons on him, Levi headed towards his door. He looked one last time at his gears that were placed next to the window. _Soon._ But he didn't need them for where he was going tonight.

Based on reports surrounding the Battle of Trost District, they had taken the boy in custody under the tight supervision of the military police. Levi had witnessed the end of the day in awe as he had rescued young soldiers from titans. He later learned the terrible truth behind his comrades' deaths.

Commander Dot Pixis, Garrison’s former chief, had agreed to this suicidal plan in a blink of the eye. He saw through its end but at what costs?

The number of casualties were disastrous and more than half the town was inundated by lying bodies and running titans. But nothing matters now that people heard the news of a _Titan_ fighting for mankind. Some said it was pure madness to let the man live while others looked for some kind of redemption, seeing it as a fallen angel becoming a monster to save them all. 

Levi had to see him. He could not wait until tomorrow when his head was constantly returning to that moment. Before his eyes, he had seen a _Titan_ lifting a boulder to seal a hole in the Wall Rose then a man escaping the surface of its nape. Something had broken in Levi ever since. The young soldier was being kept in the dungeons right now.

The tingling in the captain's hands had not left him all day. He couldn’t wait to be gone again. The town was suffocating and dirty. Every time they went on an expedition beyond the walls, Levi breathed again. The outside of the civilisation meant that he could kill again, hunt, take _revenge_. His mind only seeks one thing; executing every walking titan before his blades. He wasn't a good person.

Anger had never faded with the years ever since Isabel and Farlan died. Their crimson faces continued to haunt him as days, months and years had passed. Levi knew time wouldn’t be enough to mourn the death of his family. Feelings were a curse and he couldn’t afford to cry. Others were depending on him and he had a mission to accomplish.

Yeah, failing was not an option.

He had to be strong, he had to be cold-headed if there was any danger threatening his comrades. Maybe that’s why Levi couldn’t have helped but stared at this peculiar titan with fascination. This young man wasn’t a delicate flower but a feral and passionate _storm_ ravishing and destroying everything on its path. 

His footsteps were silent as he descended the stone steps leading to the dungeons. He didn’t really need lights to go downstairs, his eyes had for several years been accustomed to the darkness of the underground lifestyle and the nights spent outside the walls.

The military police guards were asleep as he passed before them.

His gaze went momentarily to examine the dungeons stairs. _Filthy shit._ Levi could see without getting close that the dirt had infiltrated every corner of the rock. If he had been the captain here, his subordinates would have scrubbed day and night this nasty affront.

A faint breathing could be heard as Levi finally arrived in front of the last cell. 

The small body before him was that of a boy just beginning his adult life. The lights of the torches hanging on the walls didn’t make it possible to distinguish the face of the young man lying in the bed, the wind moved the twinkling flames.

Levi was still in the frame of the wrought iron door, the key of the lock still in his hand. He had momentarily closed his eyes. His brain was attempting to remember the titan he had seen two days prior.

Without much surprise, the prisoner was sleeping like a dead man. Levi could easily kill him if he wanted to while the other couldn’t even put on a fight. Quietly, the captain carefully approached the rusty bed.

Chains from the ceiling of the cell were attached to each wrist of the captive but Levi didn’t see the usefulness of such a thing. The soldier was a _Titan_. He could easily transform and escape in a blink of an instant. No blanket sheltered the man's legs while the fresh night air had now settled in the dungeon. 

He must be cold.

Levi slowly lifted his eyes to memorize every detail of the strange captive. He was bigger than Levi but anyone could’ve said the same. He wore beige tight-kissing trousers thinly fitting his legs. The captain retraced each curve, until reaching the narrow hips of the young man. He had read his file after being informed of his presence in the dungeons.

When he learned the name of the titan, Levi couldn’t help but try to say it out loud.

_Eren_.

It was a short name, straight to the point and easy to remember. He had immediately liked that name. 

His bluish grey eyes met the steel metal as he looked at the bracelet on Eren's right wrist. It was a false security. Levi moved his fingers forward without hesitation. The swarthy skin of Eren's hand was soft to the touch and strangely burning hot despite the cold of the night.

His breathing was stuck in the chest as he gently retracted the index finger of Eren, to pass on his phalanx, then the top of his delicate hand to the cold metal bracelet barring the access to his pale wrist and...

Realizing what he was doing, Levi quickly withdrew his hand. His heart drumming in his chest, he tried to forget the feathery feel of Eren's skin on his fingers. 

_Don't be fooled._

The dim light from the burning torches partially illuminated Eren's shirt. The whiteness of his shirt gave the impression of a sleeping angel lying there. Levi wanted to look at the titan’s face only at the end of his inspection. He could already imagine Eren’s monster features as he grew older.

It wouldn’t be the usual titan with thin, translucent skin accompanied by a large, wide nose with black eyeballs, but an enormous skeleton. His brown hair would reach the ground and destroy the roof of houses. Taller and stronger than any titans before, and trying to purge this selfish world.

Eren would probably be hated for his decisions, misunderstanded because he was different and too stubborn to ask for help. His eyes would be clouded by pain, despair, _obstination_. No one would ask him why he was fighting for an universe that had rejected his being from the beginning. _Maybe he didn’t need a reason._

Levi's face was suddenly highlighted by something coming from behind the iron bars of the small window. As he turned his head in the direction of the descending crescent that had emerged from its bed, a faint murmur was heard in the cold air of the nightfall.

“ _Mom_ ” Goosebumps ran all over Levi’s neck. The voice was that of a sleeping child calling his mother. It was a fearful, sad, _human_ whisper.

Levi lowered his eyes to Eren.

His hazel hair had pretty curls here and there scattered on the mattress behind his head. His skin seemed to glow in the glare of the moon as Levi could finally see the face of the titan. He was rarely wrong but this time he was glad he wasn't right. Eren was _breathtaking_. Maybe it was the most beautiful thing Levi had ever looked at.

His forehead was hidden by a few strands of silky hair, his cheekbones were round and delicately giving the shape of a heart to his face, the nose was straight and adorable, his eyelids looked big as they hid most certainly a vast set of mesmerizing colors. Levi’s gaze had stopped on the soldier’s pretty lips.

They seemed soft and easy to kiss as the captain bited his lower lip at the thought of it. This information shouldn’t have interested Levi in the slightest, in fact he shouldn’t even think about it to begin with.

Levi climbed on the bed as he continued to stare at Eren. He had pressed one of his hands next to the sleeping man's head while positioning himself on all fours on the mattress without ever touching the other's body. The captain had never doubted a mission before.

He had been ranked at the level of Captain due to his capacity to act quickly in any situation. Only, while the warmth of Eren's body emanated from his clothes to come invading his own clothes, Levi knew he couldn’t do it.

His eyes watched the calm and steady breathing of the handsome soldier below him, his own body remained in place as he tried not waking up Eren. Levi was paralyzed. The time had suspended as his gaze was lost in a whirlwind of mixed feelings. Maybe he shouldn’t have dwelt on the sleeping boy’s pretty face, maybe he should have done it within the second he had entered the dungeon. 

_Why are you hesitating?_

The threat of his burden weighed on him as he directed his free hand toward his thigh. Levi didn't need to look, he knew where it was placed.

The wooden handle of his blade was light in his palm, the familiar weight was reminiscent of several bloody fights and of every person who perished under the force of his furry. The moonlight was following his blade reluctantly, wishing there was another way.

Slowly, he brought his knife to Eren’s pale throat. Their faces were only inches aparts as the moon guarded recklessly the sky, a passive witness to this act of salvation between the men. 

_You are doing this for him._

Levi knew what the military police intended to do with the boy. He was a monster in their eyes, another titan that they could use and then dissect for their own pleasure. His fist tightened around his blade. He could imagine Eren being placed in the custody of men and women without an ounce of kindness, without even thinking of Eren as a _human_ more than as a titan.

No one knew better than him the feeling of being seen as the enemy. He was the story that children were told late at night to _scare_ them. Truth was that the captain was respected and his talents were admired by all, but he could feel the glances of his subordinates.

Their eyes looking with concern at Levi as he would be surrounded by lifeless bodies roaming the ground, the blood of his victims evaporating from his sharp blades and his face covered in pure hatred. The captain had learned to live with this constant lump in his stomach. It seemed to remind him that none of this was normal, that his vicious outrage and thirst for blood had no place to be.

Everyone had lost a loved one, everyone had the desire to live but that was the _problem_. Levi kept moving forward with his gaze fixed on the last death knell.

Anger, fear, despair made him fight like a man with nothing left to lose. Levi was not breathing, nor fighting for the living. _No_ , he was running towards the burning fire of his underground home. A nasty and hungry mouth crushing his bones would probably be his last memory on Earth. 

_Who will be the lucky one?_

The subtle smell of wood fire and fir emanating from the young man asleep under him inexplicably bewitching Levi as he breathed through his nose. The captain looked at Eren's closed eyes.

The titan he had seen from the top of the stonewall was a beast on a _leash_ without anyone really knowing how to control it. He had raised this massive boulder, his steps making the ground tremble by the hope that he had carried, by all the rage that he had accumulated and the misery he had sealed away from mankind.

Levi had not only seen a dangerous and powerful monster but also a stubborn _man_. Eren seemed to accept that the only way to save innocent lives was to become the cause of their suffering himself. He had fought fire with fire, the titans with his titan, treated their lives with his own life. 

Levi couldn’t ignore the growing admiration he felt for the pretty boy peacefully sleeping under him. His leaning hand next to Eren's head came to catch a strand of his curly brown hair on the mattress.

He didn’t know why but the thought of never being able to see the color of Eren’s eyes irritated him. The captain wanted to know if those eyes would shine with the same combative spirit as their owner. If they too could make Levi feel weak on his knees.

What would happen if the only time he met Eren’s gaze was only after Levi had slit his throat? Confusion and pain showing in his eyes as his life would be taken away from him. His beautiful face being extinguished and colder than the Pale Horseman itself, his blood tainting his white shirt, reminiscent of an angel lying in a field of camellia flowers. 

A calm silence had settled in the dungeon. Darkness covered the last glimmers of the moon. Levi's face became motionless and his breathing calmed down in his chest; he had made his decision. He closed his eyes, slowly lifting his sinful blade. _No regrets._

The shot had been fast, _deadly_ as it hit his victim. He knew he was selfish.

Levi had condemned in the spark of a second the lives of thousands of innocents but he will not bow to man. Levi hadn’t spoken to anyone about his plan, neither intended to explain later why his choice might have been the wrong one.

It was so easy yet so hard not thinking that he did it for him more than for the survival of mankind. The bed had creaked under his legs as they became numb by the overwhelming emotion of relief.

His hands flexed under the weight of his body and his forearms now ended up surrounding Eren's head. The mattress was rough under his tight muscles but he didn’t pay attention to it. The last barrier of clothes separating their bodies was almost too much for Levi as he finally opened his steely eyes.

What he saw was _hope_ , his first and last gift to humanity. His nose met a soft, pale, _alive_ cheek. The sleeping man had turned his face to the side, breathing deeply into Levi's clothes.

The captain’s dark blade was sinking painfully into the wooden chest of the drawer next to the bed. No one came to check on them that night but Levi would care later about the incompetence of the military police. His hips were meeting Eren’s, his chest was breathing again with content and his black hairs were now spread over this gorgeous titan under him. 

_“Don’t go.”_ Eren’s quiet voice had spoken again, his eyes were still closed and he had brought Levi’s arm closer to his face.

The noise of the glittering chains moving reminded him that Eren was still a prisoner. But the captain’s heart had skipped a beat at the plaintive demand.

_“Please, stay with me.”_ The sweet angel was now furrowing his brows as he said in a sleepy voice; _“I love you.”_

Maybe Levi should’ve gone the very first time Eren had moved to grasp his arm. Maybe it was not appropriate for a captain to share a bed with another man, a sleeping one on top of it. But Levi had not been raised to be a gentleman, nor a man with principles. He was a man of flesh, of action, of savage desir to take and to keep when found.

Eren would be the death of him. Levi could already see the hard training he would put the young man through, how the younger man would wish he would never upset the captain until he dies. Levi was not a man of feelings. He didn’t say much, nor display emotions in public. _No_.

Levi shows his affection through hard work and devotion. Eren won’t be able to think about no one but Levi as they will walk side by side on expeditions. The captain would ask more from Eren, he would be pushed harder than the rest of his comrades.

Eren would be his best soldier, his symbol of pride and admiration, his one and only _hope_. But the captain would also give his remaining years to the young man. He would protect him, kill for him, _betray_ for him. 

Levi was now shamelessly smelling the divine odour of his titan’s neck. A burning heat was taking by storm every fiber of his body. His hips were pushing slightly forward in a sweet attempt of pleasure.

The moonlight brightened their bed one last time. Their pale bodies were forming one as the final star disappeared in the sky. The young man was still curled up on Levi’s arm and his legs now brought to his chest.

His ass was heavenly present to the captain as the older man had taken place behind Eren. His whole being was enthralled by the titan’s toxic magnetism. Levi knew he couldn’t stay with Eren. This night was the first time he could be himself as he hugged from behind this warm body.

The older man could picture himself sleeping every night in this way, with this man. He would wake up every morning, his beautiful titan’s face being the first thing he sees when he opens his eyes. 

The military police didn’t need to worry about Eren. Levi would assure his safety, and will always make sure to have a visual on him day _and_ night. He savored a few more seconds of this sweet blessing, new feelings rising in his lonely heart.

Reluctantly, Levi took his arm off of Eren’s tight grip. A little sad moan escaped his titan’s lips as the captain retired his body from their embrace. The loss of their connection made Eren curled up even more in the huge bed.

Levi observed a moment the young man, alone again and the cold air attacking his small body. _Ridiculous._ The captain did not think twice before leaving the dungeon rapidly. He ran like he had never run before. No one could have stopped him.

He escalated every stairs as if a horde of titans were chasing him.

Levi barged upstairs, not even caring if he woke up someone in the same quarters as him. His door hit the wall violently as the captain opened it to run and grab all the necessary, his mind only focused on the freezing dungeon and Eren shivering in his sleep.

If someone had the misfortune to see Levi that very early morning, they would have thought they dreamed all along. Why would the captain run like a possessed man with a blanket and a pillow in his arms? But what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.

The door of Levi’s room was still open as he had left without glancing back at the mess he had made in his hurry.

His steps brought him back to the dungeon, Levi’s boots entered the small cell with a passionate fire burning in his chest. The young man was lying on his back, his face turned on the side of where the captain's odour was impragned.

The chains on his fists seemed to restrain him from fully going on the same spot as where Levi had been embracing him. But Eren wouldn’t need to do so anymore. 

The sun was gradually rising above the city. As the captain was closing the cell’s door before him, wishing their next encounter would be sooner than later, he glanced back at his titan. Eren was now sleeping peacefully in a warm bed, with a pillow placed under his pretty face.

The scent of mint and freshness on the blankets enveloping his body, claiming Eren as he sunk into the depth of the captain’s growing interest.

The shadow of a smile could be seen as he went back upstairs. His quiet steps took their time, the day was only starting for him. For once, he didn't look at the lamentable state of the walls. His mind was still in the cold room with a warm body.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips.

He had finally understood the stubbornness of the moon. The secret of the faithful lovers was no longer one. Sometimes it was better to embrace death instead of fighting it. Staying instead of leaving. 

_See you soon, little shooting star._

Levi could wait if it was for him.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a pre-sequel to the fic _Heaven Below _.__
> 
> _  
> _I always wanted to write a sequel to their first encounter in the dungeon. This scene is where everything kinda start for them and I personnally cannot forget the moment when Levi said 'not bad' while looking at Eren's outburst._  
> _
> 
> _  
> _I hope you liked the little story (I may to a second chapter...)._  
> _
> 
> _  
> _Thank you again, and! Gabi, my love, you are as always the best for encouraging me in my projects._  
> _


End file.
